Time Zones
by I am not Spock
Summary: In a Quantum Leap style story a young man jumps to different times in the Star Trek universe, "putting right what once went wrong..."


Time Zones

Zone 1

George knew exactly where he was as soon as he opened his eyes. The gothic ovals and metallic grays were unmistakable. Still in shock George stood in front of a large oval window looking out on a starry expanse. A blue light blossomed like a flower as the unmistakable Bajoran wormhole opened giving passage to a cargo ship. The promenade was empty. It was probably late at night or early in the morning otherwise there would be a throng of beings from all different races bustling by. In the stillness George contemplated his present situation. Not ten minutes ago George had been awakened from a deep sleep by a draft, and a very hard, flat, and uncomfortable deck plate. George could not fathom how he had gotten here. Where he came from Deep Space Nine existed as a television show. The Star Trek experience in Las Vegas had been closed due to some petty lease disagreement and the only place the promenade could be seen was on DVD. But there he was. He could feel the thin carpet under his bare feet, the cold metal railings where he had watched Jake and Nog sit and watch transports come in. And after watching the wormhole open and close three times now he could not deny that somehow he was on Deep Space Nine. He had worried about "when". He was, fearing the Cardassian occupation but he had watched a large Klingon open his restaurant and hoped that it was a good sign.

People started to roam the promenade and George worried about being noticed if he continued to loiter. He knew that Odo didn't like loiterers. George knew a lot about Deep Space Nine and it's senior staff. He had watched every episode many times. He considered the characters close friends. And he knew that Odo would not miss him and he did not want to end up in a holding cell. George could only imagine the uncomfortable position the inevitable questions would put him in. So in an effort to act like he belonged George walked into the Klingon restaurant and sat down. It didn't take long for his plan to backfire. The Klingon who ran the restaurant approached his table.

"Tag q'an daboshka!" the Klingon roared.

George stammered, "uhhhhh, I'll have a glass of water, I mean if it is free I don't have any money."

"Da gurhan q'uang!" the Klingon screamed. The Klingon was invading George's personal bubble and getting very close to his face. Without realizing it George was leaning back in his chair. It didn't take long for him to lean too far and he tumbled backwards to the ground. Before he knew what was going on George felt himself rising from the ground. The Klingon had picked him up with one hand and was carrying him out of the restaurant. George was amazed at the size of the Klingon's hand and the rough texture of his skin. As they approached the promenade the Klingon threw him into the air while bellowing what must have been a pretty good curse. George yelped as he tumbled to the ground. As he walked down the path he was certain that Odo would be along shortly to collect him. It was only a matter of time now.

As he walked he listened to the conversations of the strange yet familiar aliens that he passed. He had never considered the wonder of a universal translator. He couldn't understand a thing anyone was saying. It was all gibberish to him. He wondered if the Klingon in the restaurant understood him despite his inability to understand Klingonese. George figured that they probably understood him well enough. He was at a disadvantage. As he was pondering this he rounded a corner and saw some very familiar faces coming towards him. Jadzia Dax and Julian Bashir were walking towards him. As they passed he heard some of their conversation. He could not understand Jadzia but Bashir was speaking English.

"The preliminary tests look good." Jadzia became excited and said something unintelligible, Bashir responded, "it certainly looks that way. Suddenly George knew when he was. Jadzia became excited again and left Bashir's side.

George froze. Jadzia had just been informed that she and Worf could start trying to have children. She was on her way to the Bajoran temple to pray and Dukat would kill her for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Without even thinking George followed Jadzia through the crowd. George was acting on instinct. As Jadzia entered the temple George paused. He scanned the promenade. There were three Bajoran security guards in view of the temple. Two were standing together and another was simply walking past presumably on his way somewhere else. An older Bajoran woman was walking through the crowd carrying a bundle of something in her arms.

As the woman approached the temple George walk right up to her, ripped the bundle from her arms and ran as fast as he could towards the temple opening. There was a loud shriek from the woman and George could tell the crowd was becoming agitated. But he had already entered the temple just in time to see Dukat lifting Jadzia high in the air with some sort of strange beam of light. Again without thinking George ran full speed at Dukat ready to tackle him to the ground. George lowered his shoulder and hit Dukat hard in the back.

As Dukat fell to the temple floor Jadzia dropped to the ground injured but alive. Before George knew what was happening Dukat had sprung to his feet and was shooting from his hand an extremely painful beam of light. George felt himself lifting off the ground. It felt as though all his weight was being supported by his internal organs. George began to shake violently a stunned look on his face. Just then the three Bajoran security guards burst in and began firing phasers at Dukat. This did nothing, of course, but it did make Dukat angry. With a swipe of his arm George was flung across the room hitting a wall and then the deck below. The security guards were enduring a similar fate and bodies flew through the air an were still. George hopped they were alive. How stupid it would be if Jadzia lived but others simply died in her place.

Dukat was now walking towards the orb. George rolled on the floor gripping his stomach in pain. His eyes met with Jadzia's she was similarly clutching her midsection but had managed to get into a sitting position along the opposite wall. George yelled to her the effort burning his midsection, "chroniton radiation!" Chroniton radiation was what Kai Wynn used to stop the reckoning and to purge the Prophet and the Pah-wraiths from the bodies of Kira and Jake respectively. Jadzia must have understood. She nodded and tapped her comm badge her mouth working furiously. Dukat was standing in front of the orb and was reaching his pah-wraith hands through the force field.

Suddenly, several things happened at once. There was the loud sound of something hitting a force field. Dukat was thrown backwards and he screamed in terrified agony. He lay on his back and his arms were up towards his face as he examined the bloody stumps were his hands used to be. His hands lay severed on the other side of the force field. And George passed out.

Zone 2

When George woke up he was looking into a familiar but unexpected red haired face. Dr. Beverly Crusher was looking down at George her hands in the pockets of her Blue lab coat. Captain Jean-Luc Picard stood next to her in his smart red uniform.

"My name is Captain Jean-Luc Picard, you are on board the U.S.S Enterprise."

Dr. Crusher chimed in, "We found you in the corridor on deck 11. You had serious internal injuries most of which we were able to repair. I'd like to have you stay here in sickbay over night so that we can monitor you. It is important that you get some rest."

The Captain and Dr. Crusher left sickbay obviously in a hurry. George felt sore and tired but not sleepy. He looked around for clues as to when he was. Where was pretty obvious. George had not made the trip to the Las Vegas Star Trek Experience before it had been dismantled. This was an acceptable alternative. Maybe he would get to go to the bridge! Captain Picard had been chagrin to allow a young Wesley Crusher on the bridge but it seemed that every other visitor to the Enterprise was welcome there. Even the incidental ones like that fake time traveler Burlinghoff Rasmussen or whatever his name was.

It sure would be nice to know when he was. He thought about asking a nurse the date but he never had taken the time to figure out the stardate system. George thought it was "too nerdy." Ha. George was pretty thirsty,

"ummm... Nurse?" George said timidly. A nurse George didn't recognize came over, "What can I do for you," he asked.

"Could I have a glass of water?"

"Sure no problem." the nurse called to someone else who was around the corner. In a moment another nurse came into view with a glass of water. She was wearing an all black uniform with blue shoulder pads and a purple collar that held her rank pips against her neck. Just then a whole group of people burst through the sickbay doors. There was Dr. Crusher, Nurse Ogawa several other nurses and Geordi la Forge on a floating stretcher. Suddenly George knew where he was... To be continued


End file.
